Many people tend to underestimate the stress that youths go through.
This should not be overlooked as we all face issues that can affect our moods and mindsets.
Some of these issues can be tough to deal with on your own, overwhelming all aspects of life. If you feel that you need help, why not try counselling?
Online counselling has been a rising trend these past few months, especially with the pandemic in mind. Seeing a counsellor online is just as efficient, possibly even more so, than face-to-face counselling.
What Are Issues That Online Counselling Is Used For?
Online counselling may be a new idea for some, but it’s just as effective in helping solve old problems. Any issues that can be addressed by traditional counselling can also be addressed by online counselling.
For youths, the most common issues include the following:
Bullying
About 20% of youths report having been bullied, making the occurrence more common than most people think. There are different types of bullying, but their effects are similar, which lead to mental, physical, and emotional concerns.
Counselling is a great way of dealing with many of these effects, and online counselling can significantly help.
Bullying is a problem that many youths face.
Family therapy
It’s often the children that are affected when the parents have problems.
Going to therapy as a family is something that can help you address issues as a united group.
An online medium works very well for these types of counselling.
Mental health conditions
Among the most common reasons for seeking therapy are mental health conditions.
Online counselling is an excellent choice for these concerns, especially since these are often very urgent. Being able to get immediate help for mental health conditions is a great advantage that online therapy brings.
You also don’t need to face big problems for you to benefit from online counselling.
You go through daily stresses from school, friends, or family. Seeing a therapist for airing out grievances can be pretty healthy for you and your relationships. You’ll also learn things about yourself that you still currently may not know.
Why not give it a try?
The Advantages of Online Counselling
Online counselling has all the benefits that traditional face-to-face counselling, with a bit more. Among the additional perks that you get are the following:
1. You keep your privacy
Going to therapy means that you’ll bare your innermost thoughts out to be dissected by someone else.
Naturally, you would want to keep these exchanges private.
If this is your concern, then there’s no need to worry since there are already solutions in place. Many platforms for online counselling are secure so you don’t have to think about being eavesdropped on. In fact, online counselling may just be more secure in this regard.
2. It’s easy to share grievances online
Most youths today have some form of social media platform that they use for airing grievances online.
For some reason, doing this through the Internet is extremely easy and can make us feel good.
The same is somewhat true for online counselling, only this time, there’s a professional that wants to help.
3. It’s very convenient
Choosing online counselling means that you don’t have to leave your own home to see a professional.
The other benefits regarding convenience are also compelling. You don’t have to go through waiting lines, no more commute, and scheduling is much easier. You get the same benefits for less hassle.
What’s not to like?
4. Safety is top-notch
This is possibly the most important benefit of online counselling, especially when recent events are taken into account.
Getting counselled online means you’re not exposed to other people, which means you minimize your exposure to the pandemic. By doing so, you reduce your and your family’s chances of becoming infected.
5. It’s flexible
We’ve already explained the things that online counselling can address, so you already know how flexible it is.
No matter what your problems are, if they’re too much to bear, online counselling can help.
It’s incredibly flexible regarding the issues that it can help fix.
6. You get a wide selection of therapists
It can sometimes be challenging to find a counsellor with whom you will be comfortable sharing your thoughts.
This is normal because you don’t always find a suitable one on your first try. Finding a counsellor can particularly be a problem for areas that have a limited number of practitioners.
One disadvantage of traditional counselling is that you’re limited to your immediate area. This is not a concern for online counselling.
You can seek help pretty much anywhere you want, as long as they’ll have you.
Also, people with limited access to mental health resources will significantly benefit. In particular, those found outside major cities will also have an easier time finding a suitable counsellor.
7. It’s more affordable
One massive advantage of online counselling is that it’s usually much more affordable than face-to-face counselling.
This is just a general trend, however. Don’t expect all practitioners to have lower prices for online services.
What to Be Aware of with Online Counselling
Online counselling, of course, is not without its potential downsides. Among these are the following:
The setting
Finding the right environment for online counselling isn’t always easy.
You can always do it in the privacy of your own room, but not everyone has that choice. As much as possible, try to find a conducive space where you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts.
Technical difficulties
Technical difficulties, either on your end or your counsellor’s, are among the biggest problems with online sessions.
Don’t worry about this on the counsellor’s end since they likely have dedicated channels for online services.
Just do your part and reduce your chances of encountering technical difficulties on your end.
Make Your Online Counselling Session Worth It
Like with face-to-face counselling, you need to keep some things in mind to make your sessions worth it.
Some of the ones you have to take note of for online sessions are the following:
Make sure that everything is in working order before you start
It’s hard to do online counselling if your medium isn’t working properly.
Before you start any session, be sure to have updated apps or software, charge your device, and check your Internet connection.
Remember that you have options
Like what we’ve said earlier, you won’t always find a suitable counsellor on your first try.
There’s nothing wrong with that, so don’t give up trying to find one that’s right for you. You have many other options, so keep trying.
Eventually you will find a counsellor who can really help you.
Share your thoughts, no holds barred
Your counsellor won’t be able to help you if you hide whatever it is that you truly think or feel.
Know that these sessions are a safe space so don’t worry about being judged. Just say whatever it is that’s weighing down on you.
Some people, on the other hand, just really find it hard to share thoughts online.
If you still find it difficult, just imagine that you’re talking to yourself. You’ll eventually get used to it and find it easier to share more easily next time.
You may get a little emotional, and that’s okay
It’s completely normal to be emotional no matter how far along you are in your counselling sessions.
You’re sharing your deepest thoughts, fears, and insecurities, after all. This happens even in online sessions, which some people deem as “less personal,” so be prepared.
Do some introspection and work on self-improvement
Letting your thoughts be known isn’t enough.
Know that you have to actively work on yourself outside these counselling sessions for real change to occur. Just make sure that you don’t fall down the rabbit hole of overthinking, which can be unhealthy.
Try to balance out negative thoughts with positive ones.
Don’t worry about not getting your point across
It can feel a bit difficult to interact with your counsellor at first, especially in an online setting.
However, we can’t stress the point enough of online sessions being more or less the same as face-to-face counselling.
Whatever questions you may want to ask your counsellor in person, you can ask in your online session.
Don’t worry about not getting the point across as your counsellor is trained for these things. Just do all you can to let your thoughts be known.
Online Counselling is Just as Real and Effective as Traditional Face-to-Face Counselling
Online counselling has already proven to be effective in addressing many issues that youths face.
It also offers a lot of other benefits that you can enjoy, so why not give it a try? Those in Ottawa and the surrounding areas have Capital Choice, a great option for online counselling.
Contact us today to find a counsellor for telecounselling or remote therapy.